Game-counter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' N. C. OOOLEY.

Game Counter.

Patented Aug. 24, I880.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Aug. 24,1880.

Laue/Him"; 71% 6%. 1

NFETERS PHOTO Lmm RAPH I UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NEWTON 0. 000mm, or oonnrne, IOWA.

GAME-COUNTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,406, dated August 24;, 1880.

Application filed May10;1E'S0. tNomodcl.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NEWTON U. GOOLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Corning, in the county of Adams and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Gallic-Registers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide means for detecting deception or cheat in the counting of the gamc,-and for indicating with a certainty the condition of the game of billiards.

The novelty therefore consists, generically, in an alarm mechanism arranged in such a manner that the passage beyond a given point of a button or buttons strung on a wire or rod will indicate by the number of alarms struck the correctness of any special numberso passed.

It also consists in the combination of a gong, hammer, and lever for striking an alarm on the passage of a button on the wire or rod.

It also consists, in combination with a lever or arm carrying a hammer, of a spring for maintaining or keeping the lever or arm in a normal position for action.

It also consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts, as will be herein after more fully set forth.

Figurelof the drawings shows a tally-frame, with two wires and their buttons, suspended over a billiard-table. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the tally-frame, the ends broken away, showing an alarm mechanism in one of the tallybars by section lines; also showing the spacing and numbering of the tally-bars to correspond with the thickness of the buttons strung on the wires.

Similar letters indicate like parts in the different Views.

The letter A represents a tally-frame composed of the horizontal bar to, end bars, I), tallybars 0 c, and wires or rods (1 d. The buttons 0 are strung upon the wires so as to slide freely in the direction of either end of the frame. Each tally-bar is recessed or made hollow at or near its middle portion, in-length, to re ceive a gong, B, which is secured in position by any'fastening means, but in this instance by a screw; and at a short distance to the left (see Fig. 2) is a hammer, D, pivoted to the bar atf, with its lower end bent outwardly and engaging with the lower portion of the trip lever or arm, where it is also pivoted. The lower end of the triplever E rests loosely upon the forward portion of the quadrant-shaped spring h, suitably fastened within the tallybar, but in this instance by a scroll-kerf, and guided in its vertical movement at the upper end by the walls of the bar, or by means of guide-pins.

It will be seen, by reference especially to the lower tally-bar in Fig. 2, that the trip lever or arm projects a short distance above the upper Surface of said bar, and at such a distance from the wire containing the buttons that as a button is slid upon the wire for the purpose of counting a point in the game it will strike the incline or curved surface of the trip-lever and depress the same, as shown by dotted lines, to signal the passage of the button.

The opposite sides of the tally-bars c, extending from the ends to the middle, are spaced and numbered to 35, in such a manner that the buttons strung on the wire shall correspon d with their numbers arran ged on the sides of the tally-bar. The spaces containing the numbers, which may be arranged in single or double rows, correspond with the thickness of the buttons, and the object of these spaces and numbers is to indicate at a glance the sum of their numbers or count of each contestant without an effort at mental addition. These tally-bars, with the alarm mechanism, may be arranged above the wires and buttons, instead of below, as shown. I

The tally-frame, or any part of it, may be surrounded by a gas-pipe and a suitable number of burners, for illuminating the same; or the said frame may be sustained by a gas pipe or pipes from the ceiling of the room at a convenient distance above the billiard-table, and constitute a part of the chandelier for the billiard-table.

The operation is as follows: The buttons 35 or 50, in practice, on their respective wires, all being back to the left end of the frame, as the game progresses are slid up for the pur pose of counting the points made in the play, and as each button passes over the lever or arm at the middle of the bar the mechanism is brought into operation for giving the alarm or signal. If two or three buttons not warranted by the play are attempted to be passed to the other side as gained points, the alarm mechanism will indicate by signals or sounds the fact to the other contestant. This operation of passing over the buttons to the other side causes the trip lever or arm to be depressed downwardly, the hammer to be raised, the spring to raise the trip-lever, the hammer to be thrown forward, and the alarm sounded.

The numbers on the tally-bars below the respective rows of buttons will indicate at a glance the condition of the game and the progress of the same.

The advantages of an alarm mechanism and the arrangement of numbers on opposite sides of the tally-bar will be readily seen by billiard-players.

I reserve the right to change the construction and arrangement of parts, as well as the ornamentation of the frame, withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention. It is also 0bvious that my improvements may be applied to the ordinary billiard-counters.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An alarm mechanism, in combination with a plurality of buttons strung on. a wire or rod, so arranged that the buttons on said wire or rod, in passing beyond a given point, will actuate the alarm mechanism, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a wire or rod containing a plurality of buttons, of a gong, hammer, and trip-lever for striking or sounding an alarm on the passage of a button on the wire to the counting-side, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a wire or rod containing a series of buttons, a spring for sustaining a trip-lever of an alarm mechanism in normal position for action, substantially as set forth.

4. A tally-frame having two or more spaced and numbered tally-bars, with an alarm mechanism arranged in each tally-bar, and two or more wires or rods strung with buttons, substantial] y as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with a stretched wire or rod containing a series of buttons, of a tallybar arranged below said wire and buttons and provided with an alarm mechanism, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' NEWTON (J. OOOLEY.

Witnesses:

THos. L. MAXWELL, L. P. STONE. 

